Musila, a famous crime buster in Githurai, shot to limelight after hundreds of residents took to the streets to protest his arrest.

Wakiaga said Musila shot the deceased three times at close range, leading to his death.

“After evaluating evidence laid before the court, I find that the accused had malice to murder the deceased,” he said.

Musila was arrested after Mwangi’s family lodged a complaint with the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) accusing him of extrajudicial killing.

Wakiaga said the former policeman ought to have handcuffed Mwangi and taken him into custody instead of shooting him in the head.

A postmortem report showed that Mwangi died from gunshot wounds on his head and Wakiaga dismissed claims that Musila was loved by residents for fighting crime, saying “justice does not recognise popularity.”

Musila had asked the court to acquit him, saying he did nothing wrong as he gunned down Mwangi after the deceased snatched a phone from a woman.